Bythinella reyniesii
Rhön spring snail ( Bythinella compressa )
The endemic spring snail Rhön ( Bythinella compressa ) with about 2.2 mm Case height occurs worldwide only in the Rhön and Vogelsberg. She is still detected in the forest reserves of the Rhön and according to the Red List of endangered BRD.
- 3.1 Literature
- 3.2 online
Habitat
The Rhön spring snail requires uniformly cold and uncontaminated water ( Saprobiewert 1.0 ) with about 7-8 ° C and feeds on nursery, especially lawn of bacteria, and detritus, which is grazed by stones, water plants, fallen leaves and lying in the water dead wood.
She used to be widely used in the open landscape. Today, she lives almost exclusively only in the outlets of sources and a few hundred meters down into the headwaters of contiguous deciduous forest areas. In intact habitats, population densities can find up to 50 snails on an area of 25 x 25 cm.
Populations live isolated from each other. With their highly specific habitat requirements extinguished deposits are irretrievably lost.
Habitat losses
The unloaded and natural spring areas in Rhön and Vogelsberg, Rhön spring snail habitat are primarily at risk from intensive agriculture and municipal construction projects.
Sources of risk
Cause is generally the destruction of the source habitats.
In agriculture, these are for example the use of fertilizers and pesticides and the construction of cattle troughs (impact, eutrophication ). Also new trout ponds in source areas with the often associated piping of the source streams and the system of spruce monocultures with the consequence of acidification of soils and sources.
Municipal threats may include: • Source versions to create tourist attractions. • New roads in forest areas with the resulting impacts of road salts, oils and abrasion (fine dust). • drainage and quarrying in the catchment area as reasons for the drying up of the sources.
Protection measures
Colonized source areas should be inventoried and protected. Consequences of this are: • The opening of piping routes and decommissioning of ponds and spring catchments • When planning, construction and maintenance of forest roads of protection should be considered. • The replacement of coniferous plants by location typical wetland forests ( alder, ash).